The 9rules Philosophy Community led by Benedict Eastaugh has begun a Reading Group where community readers and members will discuss a selected philosophical writing. This session’s writing is Descartes’ First Meditation and if you’re a little late to the party but still want to participate, you can find an online copy here.

If you don’t have a blog or are otherwise unable to write about your thoughts elsewhere, I have set up a forum for the reading group.

The most interesting aspect for me (and the area I will focus on) is Descartes’ dream argument:

“How often have I dreamt that I was in these familiar circumstances, that I was dressed, and occupied this place by the fire, when I was lying undressed in bed? At the present moment, however, I certainly look upon this paper with eyes wide awake; the head which I now move is not asleep; I extend this hand consciously and with express purpose, and I perceive it; the occurrences in sleep are not so distinct as all this. But I cannot forget that, at other times I have been deceived in sleep by similar illusions; and, attentively considering those cases, I perceive so clearly that there exist no certain marks by which the state of waking can ever be distinguished from sleep, that I feel greatly astonished; and in amazement I almost persuade myself that I am now dreaming.”

Descartes’ argument is quite simple:

1. He has often dreamt of similar circumstances to the situation that he considers a waking moment.
2. He has had dreams of the same clarity as the situation he is currently in.
3. There is no definite border between sleep and waking and he could easily sway his own belief of his current state.
4. It is possible for him to be in a dreaming state without recognizing it as such and all of his perceptions would be false, or at least not representative of the real world.

My dreams are usually accompanied by a slight haze as if there were a thin mist over my eyes, so I have never experienced the realism that Descartes’ described. For me, the two states are clearly distinguishable and the waking state lies “higher” than dreaming because no impact is made in a dreaming state. Even if one were to come to a solution to a problem while dreaming, they would not be able to implement it without waking.

The question that I have is what if there is another state above what we currently deem as the waking world? I realize that I am not dreaming now in the sense that I lie in bed, but what if there is another state that I have not yet reached in which my current state would be considered dreaming?